Smell

The nose is an amazing thing! Not only does it help give our food flavor, it can bring back memories like no other! For years now, all of my family has tried to reproduce my Grandma's bread. She passed away 19 years ago and tasting her bread was like getting a warm hug from her. But no one knew how to make it. All that was left was her recipe book. Her recipe page had notes all over it and things crossed out every which way.  No one had been able to figure out her concoction. My dear aunt had copied the recipe for all of us so we could all give it a go. Once someone got it right, we would all rejoice. I got a Bosch almost 7 years ago and set out to accomplish the feat. I failed miserably, time and time again. The smell was never there, and needless to say, the taste fell short too. I have been thinking and working my brain over this the past year. Today I pulled out the worn recipe again. 

I studied it once more, with 7 years more cooking experience, and felt much more confident than the last time I tried years ago. I just couldn't bring myself to miss it another time, but I was ready to try again today. I noticed an extra few cups of flour I had not noticed before and that gave me the added fuel I needed to try. I ground the red wheat flour and got busy! Making bread amazes me- watching the kneading paddles punch the dough into yumminess. The rising worked- I was worried since it is such a cold day. And now my timer has almost expired for the completed product. 

I don't know how it will taste, but the SMELL!  The smell is enough to take me back to South Carolina and see my Grandma in her kitchen with her apron on! It is like a dream come true. I hope against hope that the taste is there, once it is slathered in butter, of course. But if not, I have had 40 glorious minutes of memory smell!  And that does a soul good! Fingers crossed for the taste, and if it's there, I'll be making loaves for all my cousins!